Sensor Platforms

SCCOOS employs a variety of in situ and remote sensing technologies to measure physical, chemical, biological, and geological parameters as well as supports ocean models and provides forecasts of future conditions.

Data collected from over 60 high-frequency (HF) radar stations in California are processed and displayed as surface current maps in near real-time.

Spray glider surveys collect data on temperature, salinity, pressure, chlorophyll, depth-averaged velocity, and acoustic and optical backscatter. Dissolved oxygen is currently being added to this parameter suite.

SCCOOS supports four Automated Shore Stations providing real-time data and weekly sampling at five CalHABMAP pier stations to monitor phytoplankton abundance, Domoic Acid and nutrients.

SCCOOS helps support a 3-km quasi-operational Regional Ocean Model System (ROMS) to provide real-time simulations of circulation and physical parameters for coastal California. We also support a higher resolution coastal modeling project that uses ROMS in hindcast mode and Flooding  forecasting models at six sites in Southern California.

SCCOOS supports CDIP Long Beach buoy, data ingestion of OCSD M21 OAH mooring, and an IFCB deployed on the Del Mar Mooring.

In 2004, SCCOOS funded the addition of nine nearshore stations to the CalCOFI cruises which collect hydrographic, chemical, and biological properties.